Pangolin existence threatened by traditional medicine
THE already endangered pangolins’ existence is being threatened by traditional medicine.
The reason behind the small knowledge of the highly endangered Pangolin’s existence in Eswatini might be because, out of the few creatures that walk the country, a significant population is being poached for black market sale and alleged traditional medicine use.
Revealing this reverting information were environmentalists based in the country when confirming that this intriguing and highly endangered species in the world existed in Eswatini.
Pangolins are prevalent in Asian countries, including India, the Philippines and China; however, they have been confirmed to scarcely exist in some African countries, including Eswatini.
Just like the White Rhino, Pangolin rose to fame through its high value in the black market- making them an endangered species. A whole Pangolin is priced at around $ 1,000 (E17 078).
According to Wild Life in Eswatini, the type of Pangolins that is found in the country is called Temminck’s Pangolin, which is in the Ground Pangolin family.
They are one of four species of Pangolins which can be found in Africa and the only ones in Southern and Eastern Africa. The animal found in the country is named after a Dutch Zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. Senior Ecologist Sandile Gumedze confirmed that Pangolins did exist in Eswatini, however, stating that they were critically endangered as they were significantly decreasing in numbers.
Gumedze said the animals were endangered as they were being poached at an alarming rate. “Pangolins are believed to have worked wonders in traditional medicine and this has encouraged the poaching of them among healers,” said Gumedze. When asked when Pangolins were discovered in the country, he said in the 1970s, when the environment was in its natural state.
“Today, it would be very hard for a liswati to spot a pangolin because they are being poached and the environment is changing,” explained the senior ecologist.
Biology Professor Thembalilahlwa Mahlaba also confirmed that Pangolins existed in Eswatini, however, highlighting that they were very hard to spot.
“One would have to search for them for hours, days, and sometimes weeks, to find just one Pangolin. They have become very rare- making them a highly endangered species.” “The animals are mainly used by traditional healers to make their medicine, making them endangered. Also, in the international market, they are sold at very high prices, making their existence highly threatened,” commented the professor.
When asked where Pangolins would be found in the country, Mahlaba said they would be mainly found in the Lubombo and Middleveld region, where there is a high number of termites as they feed on them. He, however, highlighted that that did not mean they did not exist in the Highveld region.
According to the National Library of Medicine, Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of
still spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. When sought for comment, Witchcraft Association President Makhanya Makhanya confirmed that some witches and traditional doctors used Pangolins for their practices- stating that they were ignorant of any environmental suppression and/or policies.
“We call Pangolins ‘Halakavuma’ and we are aware they are prevalent in the Lubombo Region. The sad part is traditional healers are prompted by witches to hunt the creatures down- as they are used for spiritual protection and ailments caused by being bewitched (sic),” said Makhanya.
The traditional healer went on to say that finding a Pangolin was like finding money and usually in that case, people did not declare what they had found.
“Environmentalists should
sensitise my colleagues on the extinction of and the appropriate procedures when one is found,” he said.
Worth noting is that human-wildlife conflict, which threatens the extinction of other species, is not new in the Southern African region.
In the Okavango Delta in Botswana, human-wildlife conflict is at its peak as lions and elephants are at ‘war’ with the communities.
For survival, elephants graze in the human fields and lions eat humans and to mitigate this, the villagers along the Okavango Delta mercilessly kill the wild animals.
Worth mentioning, however, is that the above-mentioned country’s government has set up policy-making and implementation bodies to act swiftly in the brewing war between humans and wildlife.
Pangolins to follow